Automobile-starter.



P. G. MOKLVBEN a L. W. NAYLOR.

, AUTOMOBILE STARTER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED APR. 1e. 1910.

, l Patented Jan.24, 1911.

-3 SHEETS-SHEET 1..

I". G. MQKLVBEN & I.. W. NAYLOR.

AUTOMOBILE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1e, `191o.

982,382. Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FBA-NKfGmIoKLVEEN AND LESLIE W. NAYLOR, F DENVER, COLORADO.

AUTOMOBILE-STARTER.

' have in'vented certain new land useful Improvementsin Automobile-Starters; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the lart-to ,which it'appertains to' make4 and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forni a part of this specification.-

Our invention relates to improvements iii manually operated starters for automobiles, our object being toprovide a simple device adapted to accomplish the `starting function,

and which shall be easily operable and not.

' liable to get ont of repair.'

In our improved construction we locatey a manipulating deviceas a hand or foot lever within convenient reach of the chauffeur or person in charge of the machine, this lever eing suitably connected with the engine shaft, whereby the necessary initial rotary movement may be impartedthereto.

-A special feature of our starting mechanism consists in the employment of a segmental gearadapted to mesh with an adjacent pinion but normally disconnected therefrom. This", gear segment is of such size,

' with reference to its coperating pinion, and

' its ratchet, rotates independently of the has such relation to the other connections interposed between the lsegment and the engine'shaft, that the latter may be rotated several times byv a single operation of the segment. Provision is made whereby, after the segment has beenmoved in the perform ance of the-starting function, it is automatically returned to its normal position or out of enfragement with its companion with the en ine shaft includes a pawl-carrying sproc et-gear which acts upon a ratchet fast on the engine shaft. As soon as the engine is in motionin the regular erformance of its function, the shaft, with pawl-carrying gear, which ceases to move as vsoon as the actuating segment` 1s disengaged from its coperating pinion.

Having briefly outlined our improved constructiomwe will proceed to describe the same 1n detail, reference being made to the Specification of Letters Patent. Application led April 16, 1910. Serial No. 555,964.`

4the ratchet yon.the engine sha larger scale.

4,5 pinion. Furthermore, thel direct connection .p

Patented J an. 24., 1911.

accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated anfembodinfent thereof. l

In this drawing'z' Figurel is a top plan viewl of an automobile equipped with our improved starting mechanism. Fig. 2 isa. front elevation partly in section, looking in the direction of arrow 2, 1, showing `operating pawl-carrying sprocket gear,

which is shown partly in section and on a Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3, Fig. `2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the segmental gear member of the startin mechanism, together with its cooperating pinion and manipulating lever, the latter being shown partly broken away.

-In this view the parts are shown on a larger scale than in the other views, and the view is taken in the direction of arrow et, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 1, but partly broken away. In this view a foot lever is illustrated for manipulating the starter mechanism as distinguished from 'a' hand lever which is disclosed in Figs. 1

and 4. Fig. (i is a section taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 5, looking toward the right, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a modified form of construction.,

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 1, inclusive, let the4 numeral 5 designate the rumiing gear and body of an automobile upon which is mounted an internal combustion engine 6 of any ordinary or suitable type. J ournaled in bearings 7 and 8 mounted on the body or framework of the vehicle, is a rock-shaft 9 to one extremity of which is secured a hand lever 10, while' its opposite extremity is equipped with a mutilated or segmental gear 12. Connected with the rock shaft is one extremity of al spiral spring 13 whose oposite extremity is attached to the framework of the vehicle, as shown at 14. The tension of this spring is so regulated that the rock shaft is normally held in such a positremity of the shaft is equipped with a sprocket wheel 20 which is connected by means of a chain 21 with a sprocket 22 loose on a sleeve or hub 23 secured to the engine shaft 24 by a locking pinor key 25. This 'sleeve 23 is so constructed that it may be readily applied to the engine shaft of any automobile, where the said shaft protrudes for cranking purposes. Upon the forward extremity of the sleeve 23 is screwed a ratchet ring 26, the teeth of which are engaged bypawls 27 carried by the sprocket wheel 22 and held in place thereon by bolts 28 passed through the sprocket wheel and through va cap or casing 29 having an inwardly protruding flange 30 engaging the front face of the sprocket wheel. The said cap has an opening 31 which iits over the forward end of the sleeve 23 and engages a shoulder 32 formed thereon. This cap is secured in place by nuts 33 applied to the paWl-supporting bolts, and forms a sort of chamber within which the pawls 27 are located and concealed.

Assuming that the segmental gear 12, is in its normal position, or'that shown in Figs. 1 and 4, if it is desired to start the machine,

the hand lever 10 will be actuated to turn,

ment of the engine shaft will be suilicient to start the engine.` The chauffeur then releases the hand lever and the latter is returned automatically to its normal position resting upon a stop or bracket 34, the.gear 12 being again disengaged from the pinion 15. As soon as the engine is started, its shaft 24, together with the sleeve 23 and the ratchet ring continues rotation, while the pawl-carrying sprocket 22 andthe other mechanism connected therewith cease to move until again actuated for starting purposes.

Referring now toFigs. 5 and 6,' in which the foot lever construction is illustrated, the rock shaft 9 is provided with an arm 35 connected by means of a spring 36 with a stationary'part 37 of the machine, ina manner substantially the same as in the other' form of construction, though the parts are slightly differently arranged. This rock shaft 'in this specialA form of construction, is equipped with a crank arm 38 connected by means of a link 39 with one extremity 40 of a foot lever 41 fulcrumed on the framework of the vehicle asV shown at 42, its arm43 above the fulcrum extending through the floor 44 of the vehicle, its upper extremity stance a shaft protruding at the side.

being equipped 'with a foot plate 45 arranged to be conveniently accessible to the chauffeur.

It will thus be seen that in this form ofV construction the starting mechanism may be manipulated by the foot of the chauffeur in the same manner as when operated by-the hand lever.

While the mechanism, as heretofore `described, is illustrated in connection` with ali engine whose shaft protrudes in front for crankin purposes, it is evident that it may be equay welly applied to an engine having any other arrangement of shaft, as for in- In Fig. 7 we have illustrated the mechanism as applied to a transversely arranged engine shaft protruding at one side ofthe. vehicle. f

In this View it may be assumed that the engine .shaft 24 protrudes at the right hand side of the vehicle where the lever 10 is located. In this event the rock-shaft, 9 carrying the segmental gear 12 is operated in the same manner as heretofore described, and th'e segmental gear engages a pinion 47 fast on a shaft 48 carrying a sprocket-wheel 49 connected by means of a chain 50 with the sprocket 22 having lbolts 28 carrying pawls 27 engaging the ratchet 26, all of which parts are substantially the same asillustrated in I Figs. 2 and 3.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In an engine starterfor automobiles,

the combination With an engine shaft, of a rock shaft, a segmental gear mounted there. on, an operating shaft extending parallel. with'the engine shaft, a pinion mounted -o-n kthe operating shaft and coperating with the segmental gear of the rock shaft, the segmental gear being normally disconnected from its coperating pinion of the operating shaft, and an operative connection between 'the operating shaft and the engine shaft, in-

stantially as described.

2. In an engine starter for automobiles, the combination with an engine shaft, of a shaft parallel withV the engine shaft, a second vextending parallel with the engine shaft,fa l

mounted on the rock shaft, a coperatingpinion mounted on the operating shaft, an operative connection between the operating shaft `and the engine shaft, including a sprocketwheel fast on the operating shaft,-

and a second sprocket wheel loosely mounted on the engine shaft, a flexible connection between the sprocket wheels, a pawl and.

ratchet connection l between the second named sprocket wheel and the engine shaft,

and means for maintaining the'segmental gear normally disconnected from its coperating pinion of the operating shaft, substantiallyas described.

.4. In an engine starter forl automobiles, the combination with an engine shaft, of a rock shaft mounted on the vehicle, 'an operating shaft, an operative connection be-Y tween the rock shaft and the operating shaft, a wheel fast on the operating shaft, al second wheel mounted on the engine shaft, a'y

clutch connection between the engine shaft and the said wheel thereon, `causing the wheel when rotated to turn the shaftv and permitting the' shaft when started to-turn inde endently'of the wheel, a suitable connection between the wheels of the operating and engine shafts, and means for normally maintaining the rock shaft and the operating shaft in disconnected relation, substantially as described.

5. In an engine starter for automobiles,

the combination with an engine shaft, of av rock shaft mounted on thevehicle, an operating shaft, an operative Vconnection between the rock shaft and the operating shaft, means for normally maintaining the rock shaft and the operating shaft in disconnected relation, a wheel fast on the operating shaft, a second wheel mounted on the engine shaft, a ratchet and awl connection between the engine shaft an ofthe operating and engine shafts. Y

6. In an engine starter for automobiles,

the said wheel thereon, Iand .a suitable connection between the wheels the combination with an engine shaft, of a rock shaft mounted on the vehicle, an op erating shaft, an yoperative"connection between the rock shaft and the operating shaft, means for normally maintaining `the two shafts'in disconnected relation, an op erative connection between the operating shaft and the engine shaft, including a` sprocket wheel fast on the operating shaft, a second sprocket wheel loose y mountedon the engine shaft, ano erative vconnection between the two sproc et wheels, and a ratchet and pawl connection between -the -engine shaft and its sprocket'whee1,-sub

stantially as described.

In testimony whereof We aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK G. MCKLV'EEN'. 4 LESLIE W. NAYLOR,

Witnesses:

VIRGINIA I. DAVIS, ELIZABETH BOWE. 

